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On Today’s Launch
Questions you should and should NOT ask a recruiter
How Much Detail is Appropriate When Answering Interview Questions?
Subscriber Question: “I'm often told I'm too modest during interviews. I don't want to come across as arrogant, but I do want to highlight my accomplishments. How can I find the right balance?”
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Which questions are safe and which questions you should steer clear from when talking to recruiters
Asking the wrong questions can raise red flags for recruiters and hiring managers, signalling that you're not fully engaged…
Imagine you're at a job fair with a couple hundred other people. You finally get a chance to speak with a recruiter from your dream company.
What you say next could make or break your chances of landing an interview, or progressing in the interview process. How do you make the most of this opportunity?
Making a strong impression during your interactions with the recruiter is important and asking the right questions can set you apart in many ways (it can show them you’re engaged, interested in the job, have done your research etc.). Moreover, it can help you collect info you need about the role, the company culture, and the overall fit.
On the flip side, asking the wrong questions can raise red flags for recruiters and hiring managers, signalling that you're not fully engaged in the process or that you're not a good fit for the company culture.
In today’s issue, I’m going to shed some light on questions that are great to ask, questions that should only be asked at certain times, and those that should never be asked.
Without further ado…
Smart questions you can ask at just about any stage
Questions like the ones below are generally safe to ask at any stage, whether phone screen or final round interview.
What are the company's plans for the future? This shows your interest in the long-term vision and stability of the organization. It demonstrates that you’re thinking ahead and are interested in how you can contribute to the company's growth and success over time.
When can I expect to hear back from you? Asking this question sets clear expectations for the timeline of the hiring process.
Why is this position open? (Is it a new role or did someone leave?). This question provides really valuable insights into the context of the role. If it's a new position, it may indicate company growth or a new strategic direction. If someone left, it can reveal potential challenges or issues within the department or role that the candidate should be aware of.
But there are some questions that can give off the wrong signals, and in a race where you’re realistically up against 10 other really qualified candidates (out of probably 100 to 200 applicants), the less red flags you give off, the better.
Questions you should avoid asking early on
Asking these questions early on in the interview process is frowned upon by some recruiters and hiring managers.
I get that you want to know whether or not the interview process is worth your time (maybe you have a certain level of expenses and need a certain salary level at minimum).
But to some folks, questions about compensation, benefits etc. aren’t intended for early stages (like the phone screen of the first round).
Example questions not to ask during the early stages
What’s the compensation like?
What are the benefits like?
How many PTO days do you offer?
If you absolutely need to know, try starting off by asking for general info rather than trying to get at the specifics. Example:
"I'm really interested in this opportunity, and it aligns perfectly with my career goals. To help me fully evaluate the job though, could you provide some insights into the compensation range?"
Questions you shouldn’t ask. Period.
Regardless of the interview stage, some questions are simply off-limits. They won't provide useful information and can even harm your chances.
How many other people are you interviewing? OR How many people am I competing against?
Why you shouldn’t ask:
These questions or variations of them can make you seem insecure or overly focused on the competition rather than your own fit for the role. It also puts the recruiter in an tough position because that’s information they typically can’t divulge in the interest of privacy.
Another question you shouldn’t ask (one that I’ve actually seen some coaches recommend in the past) is:
Do you have any reservations about my ability to do the job?
Why you shouldn’t ask:
This question is actually an undercover sales tactic. If you’ve ever been to a car dealership, you’ve probably dealt with a pushy salesperson that asked you something similar (”So is there anything stopping you from driving away in this new Jeep Wrangler?”).
The problem with asking a recruiter or hiring manager this question is that they’re unlikely to be able to give you an honest answer regardless of which stage of the interview you’re at.
At the phone screen stage, the recruiter does not have enough info to really say with complete certainty. All they’re doing here is vetting your info and relaying that to the HM.
If you ask during one of the later interviews or assessments, guess what, they can’t give you an honest answer either, because they’re still collecting data about you at that point. Plus, it’s often a group decision, and one recruiter or HM can’t make that kind of commitment to you on the spot.
A better question to ask would be one that ensures they have all the info they need to make a decision, such as “Have I answered all of the questions to your satisfaction?”.
Before I wrap it up, I just want to say that this will vary from one recruiter to the next to some degree. No two people are the same and for that reason, not every recruiter is going to react the same way to the same question.
Lastly, I believe it’s fully within your rights as a candidate to have all the info you need to make the decision that’s right for you. But that’s just my opinion.
Anywho, I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s issue.
Keep scrolling for the premium section below.
About the Author
I’m James, Cofounder of Final Draft Resumes. I’ve been in the career consulting space for 13 years, and before that, I was a recruiter for AECOM.
I’ve helped thousands of job seekers, from industries like software engineering, IT, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and more generate job opportunities through well-written resumes that translate unique backgrounds into coherent narratives.
If you’re struggling with your resume for whatever reason, reach out - I just might be able to help!
If you’re more of a DIY person, then check out Resumatic, my free-to-try resume builder.
How Much Detail is Appropriate When Answering Interview Questions?
As a resume writer, I get this question from candidates all the time: "How much detail should I go into when answering interview questions?"
Knowing when and how to get into specifics can be the difference between being the top candidate to being the runner up. Too little detail, and you'll sound like you're hiding something. Too much detail, and you'll lose the interviewer's attention.
To help you strike a balance, I've developed a framework that's easy to understand and apply. It goes beyond interviews, so you can also use it for your resume and LinkedIn profile.
The Specificity Framework
Before we dive in, let's get a high-level overview of this framework.
It involves understanding three levels of specificity:
Check the box: "I know this thing."
Dropping wisdom: "Here's some general wisdom or best practices."
The deep dive: "Specifically, here are the details on how to do that thing expertly."
By using each level, you can tailor your communication to different audiences and achieve better results in your job search. But we'll get into that more later.
Here’s what I want you to walk away with
Conveying your experience with the right level of detail can significantly impact your job search outcomes. It affects role leveling (getting considered for the right position), scope and opportunities within a role, and compensation.
There are three distinct levels of specificity. I’ll explore each level in depth, along with practical examples of how to use them.
Each level of specificity is appropriate for certain situations. I'll provide guidelines on using the right level for different audiences, including recruiters, hiring managers, and stakeholders.
How Specificity Influences Role Leveling, Scope, and Compensation
Interviews have two types of outcomes:
Primary: The obvious one – getting the job or not.
Secondary: Less obvious but super important. These are the subtle factors that influence the level of the job you're offered, the scope of your responsibilities, and your compensation.
To get the best secondary outcomes, you need to demonstrate your expertise at the right moments. This is where the Specificity Framework comes in handy.
The Three Levels of Specificity (and When to Use Them)
Let's break down each level and how to use it effectively.
Level One: Check the Box
What it is: Simply stating you have a skill or experience.
Where to use it: Your resume and LinkedIn profile.
Example: "Proficient in Microsoft Excel"
Level Two: Dropping Wisdom
What it is: Sharing some general wisdom or best practices without getting too technical.
Where to use it: Recruiter screens and interviews with non-specialist team members.
Example: "In my experience, the most effective social media campaigns combine engaging content with targeted advertising to reach specific audience segments."
Level Three: The Deep Dive
What it is: Deep-diving into the technical details, showing off your expertise.
Where to use it: Interviews with hiring managers, senior function experts, and key stakeholders who understand your work.
Example: "To optimize our SEO, I conducted a technical audit, identifying and resolving crawl errors, duplicate content issues, and broken links. I then implemented a keyword strategy focused on long-tail keywords with high search volume and low competition."
Guidelines for Using Specificity Across Varied Audiences
To help you decide which level to use, here's a quick guide:
Broad audiences scanning your resume/LinkedIn: Level one
Recruiter screens: Level one and two
Interviewers outside your function: Level two
Hiring managers: Level two and three
Key stakeholders familiar with the role: Level three
To sum up...
By using the right level of detail for the right audience, you'll show that you're not just another candidate – you're the candidate they're looking for.
Subscriber Questions
Question: I'm often told I'm too modest during interviews. I don't want to come across as arrogant, but I do want to highlight my accomplishments. How can I find the right balance?
This is a common issue for a lot of folks. It's important to strike that balance between selling your achievements and maintaining some humility. Here are a few tips:
Instead of listing your accomplishments, emphasize the impact they had on your previous roles or the organization as a whole. Use quantifiable metrics whenever possible to show value. For example, instead of saying "I managed a team," you could say "I led a team of 10 to exceed our quarterly sales goals by 15%."
The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method can help you structure your responses in a way that highlights your contributions without sounding boastful. Briefly describe the situation, your task, the specific actions you took, and the positive results you achieved.
Before your interviews, practice your responses with friends, family, or mentors. Ask for feedback on your tone and whether you come across as arrogant or modest.
Lastly, remember that if you won’t sell yourself, you be sure as heck that other candidates won’t have the same reservations.
Hope you enjoyed this week’s issue. Email me at [email protected] if you’d like me to answer one of your questions in a future issue (In the subject line, preface with ‘PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER QUESTION’) and in your email, mention the email address you used to sign up for the premium subscription.